Kingfisher to pay Rs 25K for damage to passenger's bag

Kingfisher Airlines has been asked by a consumer forum in New Delhi to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation to a passenger for the damage caused to his bag and a camera kept in it, while he was travelling from Delhi to Ahmedabad.

The South West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held that the airline was duty bound to replace the damaged bag and not just repair it.

"In the instant case, we find that the relief offered by opposite party (Kingfisher) to complainant i.e. of repair of the bag is not sufficient. The opposite party was supposed to replace the bag and also provide some reasonable compensation for the damage to camera.

"The airline has failed to fulfil its duty which amounts to deficiency in service due to which complainant suffered financial loss... The complainant is entitled to be reasonably compensated along with a reasonable sum towards cost of the bag," a bench presided over by Narendra Kumar said.

The forum directed Kingfisher Airlines to pay Rs 10,000 as cost of the bag, Rs 10,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation to Delhi resident V Kwatra.

Kwatra in his complaint had said that on January 30, 2009, he had travelled by Kingfisher Airlines to Ahmedabad from Delhi.

On arriving at his destination, he found that the one bag he had checked in was damaged and so was his camera kept inside it.

He had then filed a property irregularity report and had followed up on his complaint several times, but the airline only repaired his bag and that too unsatisfactorily, he alleged.

In its defence, the airlines refuted the allegation of Kwatra and said the passengers are advised to carry valuable articles in their cabin luggage.

The airline also contended that they never promised to replace the bag and had repaired it.

The forum, however, rejected the contentions saying it was the airline's duty to deliver the bag in good condition on arrival of flight or replace it.